I am so excited about this project! I've been working on it for a little over a week now, since a few days after I got my new uke (which is just so cute!). I think I've got about enough pictures here for you to see how I did it... So, first I sketched myself a pattern (sort of...) and sewed the lining together (bad-ass fabric from a Jo-Ann's sale with random fish). Here's what it looked like:

I knew the lining was a bit loose, so I planned to shrink it once the padding was in and went ahead and used the same pattern for the outside. I did stripes of alternating patterns on the front, so here's those sewn together next to part of the pattern:

I then sewed the rest of the outside together and cut out pieces of batting in the appropriate sizes (two layers except right around the zipper). I used the seams from the outer layer to attach the batting by hand:

After this step I did a little dance...

Then it was just a matter of lining up the edges with the zipper, which worked out surprisingly well. I lined them up so the zipper would be visible on the outside but covered on the inside, so it wouldn't scratch the uke. Here it is on the outside:

And on the inside:

Here's the almost finished product with the velcroed pocket which was sewn on pre-padding:

And the other side, with cats and such from another fabric appliquéd on also pre-padding:

A close-up of one of the appliqués:

I also used that fabric to cover a bit of a gap at the top of the zipper:

There's another little one at the bottom, just for consistency's sake.And so here it is!

Absolutely amazing! I've been carrying my uke around in its cardboard box for years and have been meaning to make a case for it but I'm way too intimidated. Yours looks so good though, I might have to give it a go and hope mine turns out half as well. Maybe once I move on from my "starter uke" I'll have the courage and sewing skills to tackle it better though.

That's a great case - reminds me of when I tried to learn how to play the ukulele for a grad class in Early Childhood Education (yes really!) and found I was "finger challenged" or something. Anyway if I had a ukulele I would love a bag like that - good job!